A Fortune Left Untold
by Darking Girl
Summary: Buri got her fortune told in Lioness Rampant. We never knew what it was. This one shot deals with what the fortune teller 'saw' and Buri's journey to love. BuriRaoul.


I was re-reading _The Song of the Lioness _quartet and came to the part were Alanna, Thayet, Buri, Coram and sort of Liam have their fortunes told. We discover three of the fortunes but not the other two. I'm not really bothered a lot about Coram (although I do mention his. Slightly) but I felt Buri needed to be acknowledged. Basically it is a one-shot to fill in all the gaps between a Buri/Raoul relationship. Because I love them! Therefore it takes place from _Lioness Rampant _all the way to _Squire_. And uses parts of these book. Yay for Buri and Raoul! And fluff.

Sorry for the length. I got a bit carried away.

Disclaimer: Naturally I own nothing. Because I do not go by the name Tamora Pierce. And I did not create any of the characters. Sadly.

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The stocky young woman with golden brown skin watched her royal mistress walk to the hearth after being told her fortune by the Doi woman with the onyx in the middle of her brow. Buriram Tourakom gave one last glance before taking her place in the seat Princess Thayet _jian_ Wilima had just vacated.

Buri set her firm mouth and square chin in defiance to the fortune teller. Finally she levelled her black eyes at the woman called Mi-chi, whose voice was as deep as her eyes were dark and mysterious.

"Whatever it is you have to say, whisper it, all right?" she finally asked as she thrust her right hand forward.

Mi-chi gave a slight nod and took the outreached palm into her own. She sat quite still, not uttering a word. The only thing that acknowledged her as alive were her deft fingers as they traced the lines on Buri's golden callused palm, and followed them to the edges. As they ran along the five main lines something caught her interest. Mi-chi allowed herself a small smile. She drew Buri's ear to her mouth with the same deft fingers.

Words whispered in a deep voice in the K'miri's ear, almost sending a shiver up her spine. As they were said Buri sat up straighter and stared at the Doi woman in shock and confusion. Mi-chi simply replied with a shooing motion to make way for Coram. Buri left quite sharpish.

"What did she see?" Alanna queried.

Buri shook her head as she sat back down.

"Oh, tell me. Please? I need to know!"

"No," said Buri bluntly, losing her already short temper "you don't. You'll survive even if you never know. And, it's _my_ private business. Not yours!" she moved away to Thayet's place by the fire.

"But you got to hear Thayet's," retorted a whispering Alanna.

It was Coram's turn next. And he too kept his fortune under wraps. But he came back grinning, and happy. Not at all sullen.

That night, as each of the retrospective parties lay in their own beds they pondered what they had been told and what it meant.

"_You have lost your chains only, great lady. Follow your heart. It leads you to a mighty place. Forget your home. You will never return there_" mumbled Thayet, remembering Mi-chi's words. She started to cry softly, bringing back the thoughts she had had by the fire. "I have to accept that I have no home. And that my parents are dead. That I will never see my mother again in this life. She was the chain that held me down in Sarain. Gone. Forever. But still the burden of my father remains and the remembrance of what he did, and caused. And that pain still grows each day" she said quietly.

Coram's future had foretold of happiness. And love. Luckily Coram knew immediately to whom this information told of and was increasingly happy to know that his travelling days were soon to be over and he could settle down. Now each time he thought of Rispah he couldn't help but smile. More so when he pictured her in his strong arms.

Alanna's palm had relayed nothing with hidden meaning. It was crystal clear what she had to do. She couldn't wait for the storm to pass, because it would never pass. She had to go. Into the heart of a fierce blizzard. To get what she came for, the fabled Dominion jewel. And she couldn't tell anyone what she planned to do. Because they would stop her. "It is_ my_ destiny" she mumbled.

Buri was simply puzzled by what she had been told, ""_Life will be hard at times but persevere. You are vital for the future, and the mighty task. You too must follow your heart. Never lose hope. And forget your home. The future lies with your Queen. And the friendly 'giant'."_ A giant? I don't understand! What can it mean! What is he to do? A service of some kind? Assistance?" Many thoughts flittered through her head that evening until she finally uttered "could it mean ……love?" Quickly she shut her self up. She was not willing to go down that path. It scared her like nothing else could. She pushed it to the very back of her mind. Instead she turned her thoughts to those of not being able to go home. She didn't have a home. Only where Thayet made hers would Buri too have a home. "It's not like there is anything left. Not since my mother and brother died" mused Buri aloud, "I only belong with Thayet." She stopped short. It was a thought that could only lead to a difficult place. As it was, as Buri slept that night the words "_And the friendly giant_" replayed themselves. Over and over again.

Since Buri put all of her energy into suppressing the memory of what had happened at Lumuhu Valley, and what Mi-chi had told her, it was natural that every new place they entered several tall, large gentlemen were in residence, and, naturally her eyes strayed to each of them in turn wondering if he were her 'giant'. Buri hated herself for it.

This occurred all the way to Port Udaypur, with Buri managing, successfully I might add, to hide her internal struggle from those she travelled with. Sometimes she caught Thayet looking at her beneath her lashes but Buri was absolutely certain Thayet had no idea what was wrong with her guardswoman. That is until this day.

Unfortunately Buri was needed to travel with her mistress into the market place as the sights needed to be seen, Coram was to sell their snow wear and Liam was to query about a boat. No reasonable excuse could be thought of that would licit her to stay behind with Alanna.

The market place succeeded in seriously displeasing Buri. It simply added more fuel to that already steadily burning fire within her once icy heart. Every single large gentlemen that ever seemed to walk the world was at that market day. Buri's eyes darted so much that she had the beginnings of a most awful headache.

Suddenly above the heads of all the other giants walked the most giantey giant Buri had ever seen (in her two agonizing weeks of watching). She stopped short and openly stared. He was easily a head taller than the tallest man in the market place and she guessed his height at six feet and four inches. He was black haired and moustached, with a tanned and ruddy face. Not to mention those kind dancing eyes. No one could possibly deny that he was not a giant, not even Buri (she tried. And failed).

"Buri? What's wrong? What has happened?" asked a puzzled, and slightly scared Thayet. What was wrong with her closest friend? When she received no reply she stopped and turned around. Buri wasn't there. She looked further back down the path she had followed and saw a still Buri. Thayet quickly ran back "BURI!" she said with deliberate force.

"Oh……… Oh! Ummmm, my sandal. Yes. That's it. My sandal, it came undone. I've stopped to tie it" a faint blush came to her golden cheeks as she glanced down at her clearly tightly laced sandal. Still tied with a K'miri knot.

Thayet looked at Buri, shell shocked herself. Quickly she looked to the direction she had seen her friend look. All she saw was a very tall man. With black hair. _Well, well, well_ she thought to her herself, _who would have guessed_. A smile came to her perfect lips and she looked directly at Buri.

Buri saw she knew what she had been doing and blushed deeply. "Come on" she said gruffly, "lets go."

When they reached the inn they realised that Alanna was deep in conversation with a tall black haired man. She turned and grinned at her friends. Standing up she announced, "Princess Thayet _jian_ Wilima, may I present Sir Raoul of Goldenlake Commander of the King's Own and one of my closest friends?"

The soon to be acquaintance stood up and turned, "Raoul, this is Princess Thayet of Sarain, and her guard Buriram Tourakom."

Buri turned an interesting shade. It was the man from the market place. Thayet now openly grinned, knowing exactly why her friend was silent "I am very glad to meet you sir" she said as her hand was lifted to his lips. _This is going to be interesting!_

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In a way the journey back to Corus was hell for Buri. It meant that she had to spend several weeks in the company of a man that reminded her of what her future held. More than that, it was the one that she refused to think of, as it frightened her beyond belief. And Thayet was no help. She kept looking at Buri and smiling, moving her eyes to Raoul, knowing that Buri knew exactly what she was doing.

It was worse on the boat to Port Caynn, there was no where she could run too. Thayet was just annoying, Alanna was locked in her cabin, sick, and the others all stayed together - with Raoul. It pained her, sitting there, wondering, next to him in all his friendliness. She found herself beginning to like him, in spite of all the looks Thayet kept giving her. Buri soon realised that they were on the way to becoming friends. Good friends. And she managed to make herself forget about what she had been told.

Thayet didn't though.

They parted ways soon, him to the palace and them to Alanna's adoptive father's home. Much awaited them. Thayet especially - with her introduction to Prince Jonathon. Buri was happy at the fact that she could now look at her mistress like she had looked at her. And the fact that Thayet and Alanna had to have a dress fitting to be officially introduced to Court. She fled with Faithful, leaving them to their doom. However she did sourly miss the opportunity to assist in the piercing of Alanna's ears, and then laugh as she, a fabled hero, fainted.

On the day they were presented to the King's Court Buri was content in the fact that she was allowed to wear a deerskin jacket richly beaded in red and silver, tight deerskin breeches, soft boots and black gauntlets. At least in her duty as guardswoman she could wear weapons openly through her sash, but she hated all the silver pins in her hair, holding the tightly coiled braids in place. _Thayet has it worse though_, she thought, just before the Princess entered the chamber. However as she looked towards the entering Thayet she could not help but sigh in longing. She pocked Alanna's arm.

Princess Thayet _jian_ Wilima of Sarain, Duchess of Camau and Thanhyien wore a dress of flame red muslin, off the shoulders it followed her curves to the waist where it opened into a full skirt. Rubies set in gold glistened at her creamy throat whilst others settled in her curled jet black hair. Simply, she glowed. Buri glanced at Alanna and noticed there was a big smile. She realised what she was thinking. And she couldn't help but know it too. She leant towards Alanna and whispered "His Majesty will never let her go." Alanna's eyes crinkled in mirth. Then she winked.

"Do I look all right?" Thayet asked as she tried to smile.

"Don't ask _me_," said a grinning Alanna. She pointed towards the chief herald as he stared at the beauty in front of him. "_He's _seen all the beauties come and go. He told me they didn't impress him anymore."

The chief herald suddenly bowed, as low as he would to a king. "Princess, may you always grace our halls," he said with great feeling.

_He's hers_ thought Buri, _if he wasn't hers already_. She joined the grinning Alanna as their names were announced.

As Thayet sat in the chair just beneath Jonathan's and Buri took her place behind it, she leaned in ever so slightly and whispered in the creamy ear "they love you." Thayet shook her head a fraction at what she had been told but just then a patter of applause began and turned into a roar of enthusiasm. Her hazel eyes opened in surprise, _they accept me!_ She allowed herself a little smile and noticed that Jonathon smiled too.

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It was soon realised that the King to be was infatuated with the exiled Princess. Buri smiled at the fact that she may soon have a new home. However she still had a while to wait. Jonathon did not ask Thayet to be his bride until after the coronation when Roger of Conté was dead once more and he had explained about Alanna. Therefore it was her duty to travel to the desert with the Queen to be, escorted by a squad of the King's Own. In Thayet's happiness Buri forgot to remember how well a certain Commander looked in the blue and silver uniform, and soon she forgot what her hand had shown those few months past.

It wasn't till Thayet had been crowned Queen that she knew to wanted to be loved. She made herself stop thinking such thoughts and instead threw all her energy into helping her Queen create a force. The Queen's Riders. She was made co-commander, and she couldn't be busier, doing every job that was available and honing her fighting skills, armed and unarmed, until she was ferocious. No one ever guessed that she was lonely.

To make matters worse there was the fact that she was now a prominent figure, a co-commander, and this meant she crossed paths with a man she tried to ignore at all costs. The Commander of the King's Own. They still got on really well, and Buri tried her utmost to hide her feelings and not let it affect their relationship. Sometimes, when she was extremely bad tempered she wondered if Thayet did this on purpose. Hoping that she could play match maker. However she generally dismissed it knowing that no one knew about her private problems.

Over time she bundled all the feelings until they were tiny and thrust them somewhere she hoped she would never find them. It helped that she was made full commander during the Immortals War, when Thayet realised that she was to busy as queen to serve the force she had created. Now Buri tried her hand at all the everyday work the Queen's Riders created.

She was proud of herself because of what she had achieved. She was proud of the fact that she alone wore a crimson horse rearing on a bronze coloured field, surrounded by a gold ring. She was even proud of the fact that she had become as famed as Lord Raoul or the Lioness. She was proud because she knew her mother and brother would be proud of her. If they were still alive. And she was proud no one ever knew her secret.

Life couldn't be sweeter. Well, except for parties. Thayet always made her attend. And generally seated her with a single man. At these times she wished that she wasn't commander and that she were free. But she knew Raoul was in the same boat as her. He turned as wooden as she did when sat next to an unknown partner. As they both became famed for they're hatred of social situations they worked out a system.

The bundle that she had held all her feelings so many years ago started to thaw in the years that Raoul got himself a squire. She found herself in more places with him and their great friendship extended even further. She realised that Keladry, the squire was watching them with smiles one evening. But Kel couldn't help but smile. Buri and Raoul were talking frequently together, leaning against a wall side by side. Looking at them she had to smile, Buri stood only as high as Raoul's shoulder. Kel found herself wondering if something could happen between them, that they would find love with each other. Her Knight Master, for all that he was surrounded by men needed a woman in his life. If only to get his family of his back. All these thoughts flittered through her mind in an instant before she went to receive some kisses from the Knight she thought she loved.

Two days later Kel found Raoul in a 'splendid' mood. She noticed that his second best tunic, wine coloured velvet with gold borders, was laid out. "Is there a party tonight?" she asked, puzzled as she had received no instructions.

"I wish," he replied gloomily. "I've received an imperial command." He lifted a sheet of parchment. "My great-aunt Sebila of Disart, my sire's aunt, matriarch of our clan, orders me to present myself at her house in Corus tonight. She and plenty of other relatives will be assembled to greet me."

Kel was confused and told him so.

"They'll want to know why I'm not married. They'll have lists of eligible women - not the best of the crop, of course, because I've let things go much too long and will have to be happy with those no one else wanted. And great-aunt Sebila will explain all this at full bellow, with the women present, because her hearing is not what it was."

"Why not bring someone?" Kel asked sensibly. "They can't try to match you up if you bring an eligible female."

"If I bring a lady of our rank, Kel, she might think I mean something by it. I don't want to hurt someone that way. I may be 'a feckless gawp of an overage boy', as Aunt told me once, but I don't play fast and loose with people."

"Why not Buri?" she suggested at last. "She won't get any romantic notions, you'll have someone to talk to, and maybe your relatives will leave you alone, at least about marriage."

Raoul thought about this and five minutes later Kel left his room clutching a piece of parchment.

She found and left Buri shortly after. With a most definite yes.

Buri pondered over what this could mean. Was it a friendship thing? She had told Kel that it was, but was she lying? The K'miri couldn't tell. Memories of that day eighteen years came back to her '_follow your heart'_ . "I'll try," mumbled a scared Buri as her bundle of emotions resurfaced from that long forgotten place, "I'll try."

What happened that night Buri was never sure, but it was a night of passion. Mayhap even love. It certainly turned into love.

As he slept at her side that night she peered at him. And grinned. Slowly he realised that she was watching him and sat up.

"What?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I found my giant!"

He looked at her with a puzzled look, but then he laughed. He pulled her to him. "You sure did!" he replied as he kissed her.

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Hope you enjoyed!

Please do review.


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